India’s soaring anticipation of becoming an electronics manufacturing hub was halted by the havocs of COVID-19. in fact, not only India but the whole world was brought to its knees by the outbreak. Several countries had shut down their ports, airports and domestic transportation while imposing nationwide lockdowns, leading to a disturbance in business and civil life. The lockdown in India impacted manufacturing activities across the globe.
China is receiving a lot of heat from all over the world since the inception of the outbreak for some perceptible or imperceptible reasons. As a result, some of the biggest companies are already planning to move their manufacturing units away from china and now batting for India. Can India take full advantage of this opportunity? Well, ELE Times Correspondent Mayank Vashisht had a profound conversation with Ashok Rajpal, Managing Director, Ambrane to know more about how the pandemic has impacted the electronics manufacturing sector of India, and how can we make our way out and how India come to par with the manufacturing competency of china.
Excerpts:
ELE Times: What challenges do you have to face in India on the manufacturing front while keeping in mind the all-pervasive anti-china sentiment? Do you think that India can match China’s competency in manufacturing?
Honestly, China remains the largest source of critical imports for India, from mobile phone components to pharmaceutical ingredients and much more. With Covid19 challenges, India is working on a multi-pronged strategy to reduce this reliance. China is a major player and will not be easy to replace, but at the same time, the disruption in the supply chain route has urged countries to look for some localization, the biggest opportunity for India. If India wants to be the biggest supplier of electronics in the world, then we should have an integrated supply in place in our own country. Currently, India’s infrastructure is simply not good enough to facilitate the expansion of the manufacturing sector or meet the needs of global investment in India. The business community has continuously cited poor infrastructure, lack of skilled labour, shortage of power, poor government support as the biggest constraint towards improving economic growth and corporate performance.
ELE Times: Lockdown, due to COVID-19, has impacted the Electronics industry immensely. The entire supply chain has come to standstill. How has it impacted the supply chain and the trading community in particular? What is the current situation? What are the ways out?
With the prolonged COVID-19 crisis, both regional and global supply chains stand fractured. There is a pressing need to re-evaluate the global supply chains wherein fundamental assumptions may need to be re-examined, manufacturing bases may need to be diversified, trade channels may need to be re-engineered, and investment destinations may see a shift. As companies look to fix their broken value chains in the short term and reduce their supply chain risks in the long term, India has an exclusive opportunity to emerge as a preferred business destination during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the key fundamentals required for emerging out of the current crisis is to boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative. It is indeed a challenging task to take on, however, this step will promise India a better future.
ELE Times: Though MSME`S are developing so rapidly their infrastructure is not at par with that of developed countries. With poor infrastructure, their production capacity is very low while the production cost is very high. Do you think that the current Government policies can bolster the MSME’s situation in India?
The MSME sector has been grappling with its long-standing challenges. Despite the Government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India Vision’, the industry lacks an ecosystem to maximize its potential. While the government support has been critical in ensuring the sector lifts off from the runway, unleashing a new wave of bolder and well-directed reforms would thrust the industry to soar higher Inception and implementation of newer manufacturing-focussed policies for production would prove to be beneficial in the current situation. The journey from a developing country to a developed nation is indeed challenging, as each aspect plays an important role.
ELE Times: Do you think that the Indian electronics manufacturing industry has the required support from the government of India to set up units and meet the booming domestic demand and exports?
Global shifts in trade policies, like the US-China face-off, as well as the pandemic that has shown that dependence on one country for electronics raw materials can be a dangerous strategy, have given India a chance to step up. It is the opportunity of a lifetime for the Indian electronics manufacturing sector to avail enabling policies and grab global market share. Despite the opportunities seen, the Indian manufacturing sector needs a big push. Effective collaboration between the government and the private sector is the need of the hour.
Ambrane as a brand is constantly trying its best to endure and excel in the present scenario. Of course, support from the government is essential, however, our brand is doing the best it can to surpass the setback.
ELE Times: Your thoughts on having recently roped in cricketer Ravindra Jadeja as Brand Ambassador. Tell us how you will cater to new-age technologies and innovations through your product line to the Indian Consumer?
Being one of the trusted and preferred to Make in India brands, the partnership with the Indian player strengthens the brand’s narrative. He is a popular youth icon, a game-changer with several firsts to his credit & an all-rounder, Ravindra seems like a natural fit to the brand, exemplifying the same dynamism and energy as attached with the brand. Carrying forward, Ambrane’s tech-forward legacy, Ravindra shall be seen in a series of campaigns and ads across digital platforms and other mediums. His popularity among the youth and unmatched performance stands synonymous with the brand’s continuous strides in innovation, high-quality and futuristic tech needs. The partnership shall enable us to explore newer avenues to reach our customers, as we script our future growth strategy in India.
Mayank Vashisht | Sub Editor | ELE Times
Mayank Vashisht
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